Pakistan: Drought conditions in Sindh have affected nearly 1.7 million people; nearly 500 have died in Tharparkar, including 296 children. In FATA, the number of people displaced by the military’s operation Khyber One in the Tirah Valley has grown to 440,000 people, adding to 993,000 displaced by operations in North Waziristan.

Liberia: Two million children are thought to be affected by the consequences of the Ebola epidemic. High levels of unemployment are affecting income: 70% of households in a recent survey said they do not have enough money to afford food.

Syria: Syrian refugee numbers have grown by a million in a year, and now exceed three million, while the journey out of Syria is getting tougher. 42 children were reported killed by government strikes over 29-31 August, while in IS-held areas there are reports of routine executions and amputations.

Syria: Only 41% of Syria’s public hospitals are fully operational. The latest in a number of local truces around Damascus has been agreed between state forces and opposition in Qadam. 191,369 people were reported killed March 2011–April 2014, mainly in Rural Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Idleb, Dar’a and Hama, according to new UN figures.

Central African Republic: The CAR President Catherine Samba-Panza named a Muslim as the new Prime Minister. Renewed clashes have displaced 20,000 people in Batafango (Ouham) since July and 17,000 people in Bambari (Ouaka) since June. A total of 890 security incidents were recorded in 2014, hampering humanitarian access.

OPt: As a 72-hour truce begins, 1,179 civilians have been reported killed since Operation Protective Edge started. A third of the population of the Gaza Strip – 485,000 people – have been displaced, an increase of 270,000 since last week. Most IDPs are staying in schools, which are severely overcrowded. The health system is overwhelmed.

oPt: 1,067 are reported killed in Gaza since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge. 215,000 people have been displaced, and shelter conditions are a major concern. Damage to critical infrastructure, including the only power station in Gaza and health facilities, is heavily restricting access to basic services. Insecurity is also impeding humanitarian access.

oPT: 583 have been reported killed and over 100,000 displaced since Operation Protective Edge began on 8 July. There are urgent needs for essential drugs, shelter, water, and food assistance in the Gaza Strip, requiring greater humanitarian space.

oPT: 178 Palestinians have been killed since the launch of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge on 8 July. Around 17,000 people have sought shelter in UNRWA schools. Rockets from Syria and Lebanon have hit the north of Israel, raising fears of the conflict spreading.

Democratic Republic of Congo: More than 30,000 people are estimated to have been displaced in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Katanga in June, due to FARDC military operations and fighting between armed groups.

Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone: The Ebola outbreak that started at the beginning of 2014 has resurged, with more than 635 cases recorded, including 399 deaths, as of 23 June. WHO is urging a wider, inter-country response to the subregional crisis.

South Sudan: SAM was found to be at 6% from a screening of 500,000 children. In Bentiu UN base, the under-five mortality rate has passed the emergency threshold. 2,300 cases of cholera have been reported.

Iraq: 1.2 million people have been displaced by the ISIL June offensive and the Anbar crisis. Humanitarian access to militant-held areas remains a challenge. The security situation in Anbar, Ninevah, Salah al Din and Diyala is volatile and unpredictable. Host communities are facing difficulties assisting new IDPs and over 226,000 Syrian refugees.

Pakistan: The military offensive against the Taliban in North Waziristan has reportedly killed up to 30 Taliban and displaced at least 300,000 people to neighbouring provinces as well as Afghanistan.

Iraq: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and its allies have overrun non-Kurdish controlled areas Ninevah and significant areas of neighbouring Salah al Din and Kirkuk governorates, as well as part of northern Diyala. Access is severely limited, and hundreds of thousands of displaced persons are in need of humanitarian assistance.

CAR: The security situation in Bangui has reportedly deteriorated; 25 have been killed in renewed clashes. Violence has disrupted the April–May planting season, which will likely lead to below-average 2014–2015 harvests.

Syria: 241,000 people are estimated to be living under siege, 196,000 besieged by government forces, and 45,000 by opposition forces. Nearly 2,000 civilians are reported to have been killed in air strikes on Aleppo this year. Humanitarian access to both government and opposition controlled areas dropped significantly in May.

Central African Republic: Renewed clashes between anti-balaka and Seleka fighters occurred in several locations in central, northern, and southwestern provinces. MISCA soldiers are being redeployed to cover areas previously secured by the Chadian contingent. A Christian religious leader was killed and four were abducted in two northern towns, while 30 Christian civilians were reportedly killed in a central town.

In the first quarter of 2014, CERF was crucial in supporting coordinated humanitarian action in most urgent crises worldwide. At the start of the quarter, three system–wide level 3 (L-3) emergencies were in effect: in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Philippines and Syria. In February, another L-3 was declared in South Sudan where conflict has displaced over one million people and left 5 million in need of humanitarian assistance.

FAO’s forecasts for global cereal production, consumption, trade and stocks in 2013/14 have all been raised since February, with overall supply conditions significantly improved compared to the previous season.

Export prices of wheat rose in February mainly on concerns about the 2014 winter wheat crop in the United States. Prices of maize also increased, supported by strong domestic and export demand for feed and industrial use. Overall, however, cereal export prices remained below their year-earlier levels.

In Syria, violence is ongoing with government bombardments on Aleppo and infighting between rival rebel factions in Deir-ez-Zor and Al-Hasakeh. Between 07-11 February, a temporary ceasefire in the city of Homs allowed for the evacuation of over 1,200 people and the entry of humanitarian convoys into the Old City for the first time in two years. To date, at least 242,000 people are trapped in besieged areas across the country. Meanwhile, the second round of the Geneva II peace talks began, with expectations regarding aid deliveries and the release of prisoners.

Central African Republic: While the capital Bangui remains relatively calm, the security situation in the northwest of the country remains highly volatile with several clashes reported between ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka factions. An estimated 902,000 people are now internally displaced as a result of the ongoing violence - half of them in the capital, and over 246,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, the European Union has approved the six-month deployment of a joint contingent of up to 1,000 soldiers to support French and African Union forces.

This analysis was compiled at a workshop held at Ridar Hotel - Seeta Mukono, from 25 to 28 November 2013. It was attended by 50 participants: 30 from Districts representing all regions of Uganda, and 20 members of the IPC Technical Working Group representing relevant NGOs, UN Agencies and Ministries that handle food security, water and sanitation, health and nutrition related activities.